Massage Therapy Schools in Florida

Massage therapy schools in Florida enable adults like you to quickly gain new opportunities in a versatile occupation that's about helping others.

Practitioners in this field often get to choose between many kinds of fun and rewarding work environments. And in the popular Sunshine State, those can include places like beachside resorts, spas, and even cruise ships. Plus, as a massage therapist in this region, you could meet residents and visitors from all over the world as you help them relax from stress or heal from pain or injury.

So discover a variety of Florida massage therapy schools offering short training options that can help you become licensed. Just enter your zip code in the search tool below to find a nearby school and begin exploring your future!

3 Major Benefits of Becoming a Licensed Massage Therapist in Florida

Therapeutic massage doesn't just have advantages for the people who receive it; it can also generate several benefits for the practitioners who provide it. And that's particularly true for Florida's massage therapists. They often get to enjoy a strong sense of physical and mental fulfillment because of the services they offer and the beautiful settings they work in. But pursuing a massage therapy career in this state can have additional upsides such as:

1. Favorable Career Outlook and Exceptional Variety

Florida is one of the world's most popular travel destinations. And it is also home to a huge number of retirees who move to the state to enjoy the sun and a more leisurely lifestyle. As a result, this region is a terrific place to pursue a career in massage therapy.

In fact, in 2016, Florida had the second-highest level of employment for this vocation in the nation.* And from 2017 to 2025, the number of massage therapy jobs in Florida is expected to grow by 20 percent.** It's easy to see why when you consider additional facts like these:

About 88 million visitors came to this state in 2017 alone.***

Between 1990 and 2016, Florida's per-capita disposable income grew by about 120.8 percent.**** (The more money people have to spend, the more they consider spending it on services like therapeutic massage.)

People over the age of 45 represent more than 45 percent of the state's population.† And they will increasingly need to access various kinds of healthcare, including massage, as they get older. Already, about half of American adults get massage for health-related reasons.‡

Plus, since their services can be performed for a wide variety of reasons, it should come as no surprise that massage therapists can be found in many different settings. After all, sports and tourism are both big industries in Florida, which means that a lot of opportunities exist in spas, resorts, fitness centers, and even sports teams' headquarters. Some massage therapists in the state even get the chance to work in exotic locations while aboard cruise ships, which set sail from ports in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and other Florida cities.

In addition, many of the state's massage therapy professionals are self-employed, with some operating their own massage clinics or providing mobile massage services at their clients' homes or offices.

2. Appealing Wages

In 2016, the average hourly wage for massage therapists in Florida was $20.82. But when you consider the great potential to earn sizable tips from wealthy clientele or to operate your own business, the possibility exists to make a lot more than that. And, generally speaking, the more massage techniques you've mastered, the more you can earn.

3. Relatively Fast Training and Quick Career Entry

You don't have to spend very long in school to get the training necessary for becoming licensed in this state. In fact, some massage therapy programs take as little as about 7.5 months to complete. It just depends how in-depth you'd like your education to be. If you'd like to learn more advanced techniques, then you can find options that take no longer than about 16.5 to 24 months.

Regardless of the training you decide on, you will ultimately need to attain a Florida massage therapy license. By law, anyone who performs any kind of massage services for compensation in this state is required to be licensed by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. The requirements involve:††

Completing at least 500 clock-hours of massage therapy training from a board-approved school or through a 12-month apprenticeship program

Passing one of three exams: (1) The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), (2) the National Certification Examination in Therapeutic Massage (NCETM), or (3) the National Certification Examination in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB)

Passing a criminal background check

Completing continuing education courses including a two-hour Prevention of Medical Errors course, a three-hour HIV/AIDS course, and a 10-hour Florida Laws and Rules course (all of which are sometimes included in the massage therapy programs at board-approved schools in the state)

Interested in Learning More?

Start by exploring a selection of massage therapy schools in Florida. It's as simple as entering your zip code to find the schools nearest you!